by guest critic Lara Alier

Blood. Clit. Cunt. Period…Oh, and nipples. Does it make me feel uncomfortable? Not really. It’s 2018.

Yet I remember two days ago, one of my flatmates couldn’t pronounce the word “vagina” and almost had a fit, gesticulating and mumbling incomprehensible sounds.

This play does exactly what it said on the tin. On stage three women perform a series of sketches which celebrates, questions and empowers womenhood. Amongst one of these sketches, we have the privilege to meet Frida Khalo – in my opinion, one of the greatest female icons. The actress is skillful, but the monologue feels like a generic presentation with facts compiled from Salma Halek’s film.

In another sketch, a women thanks her womenhood and drinks blood from her menstrual cup. I don’t drink my period, nor paint abstact landscapes with it. I don’t shower with it, nor rub it against my womb. But why do I keep seeing it in theatre all the time?

The scenes are linked by the projection of the face of a women that represented a clit. It was very minimalist, but fasinating to watch.

People around me are really enjoying themselves. Yet at some points the comedy was completely lost, as the performers sometimes acted the scenes knowing they were meant to be funny.

Feminist theatre is here for a reason, and I encourage us to find other ways to get new blood to join this dialogue (haha).

Queen C*unt – Sacred or Profane? runs through 28 January.

The Play’s the Thing UK is committed to covering fringe and progressive theatre in London and beyond. It is run entirely voluntarily and needs regular support to ensure its survival. For more information and to help The Play’s the Thing UK provide coverage of the theatre that needs reviews the most, visit its patreon.